CSUSB Launches Coyote Karma 2012 – “What You Give Is What You Get”

(Victor Valley)– – California State University, San Bernardino will present its inaugural Coyote Karma showcase, with a goal of encouraging students to give back to the university and to highlight student organizations.

The event will take place on Thursday, May 31, on the lawn in front of the Pfau Library from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The event will feature music from local bands and food from local vendors, along with opportunity drawings and activities.

Because of dramatic reductions in state funding in recent years, the university now relies heavily on support from private donors and alumni.

The student-giving campaign is the first of its kind at Cal State San Bernardino. Coyote Karma will encourage students to invest in their education and their overall college experience. Special focus will be placed on the current and future students to inspire them to give back to the university from the start.

“Because 82 percent of the students that attend CSUSB receive some form of financial aid, it’s important that today’s students understand the importance of giving back to the university when they are financially able, so that they can help future students in much the same ways they’ve been helped, too,” said Terri Carlos, director of development for annual giving and constituent management. “There’s no better time for them to learn the value of giving back than when they are still students, even if it’s just a nominal amount. Every dollar adds up and has an impact. Undeniably, their participation is instrumental in the future of our campus.

“Events that build affinity with the university and help students understand the importance of philanthropy are especially important at a time when private gifts, as well as student and alumni engagement, is paramount,” said Carlos. “Coyote Karma represents that peer-to-peer involvement and I look forward to what I know will be a successful event.”

Cal State San Bernardino students come from a wide array of diverse cultures, and many are the first in their families to attend college. In fact, more than 70 percent of CSUSB graduates are the first in their families to earn a college degree.

For more information, contact Annette Verdejo at (909) 856-9163 or e-mail Verdejoa@coyote.csusb.edu.

For more information about Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Public Affairs at (909) 537-5007 and visit news.csusb.edu.